Escondido council OKs charter school lease

Critics say backroom deal; supporters hail money for recreation

ESCONDIDO  Escondido City Council members voted 4-1 Wednesday to lease the defunct East Valley library branch to a charter school during a nearly three-hour public hearing that included angry rants, tears and accusations of backroom dealing.

More than 40 local residents spoke, with supporters praising the charter school and critics complaining that the deal will force the eviction of two businesses and will kill any chance of reviving the branch library.

Councilwoman Olga Diaz, who cast the lone “no” vote, said allowing a school in the East Valley Community Center contradicted what city officials intended when they opened the center as a public gathering place in 1994.

“The community center had a different purpose than to generate lease revenue,” she said.

Diaz said the charter school, Heritage Digital Academy, should have tried to find another location instead of taking up a space where some residents hope to eventually revive the branch library.

“There are other ways to solve your space dilemma,” she said.

But the rest of the council praised the lease agreement, the charter school and the man who runs it --- former Escondido High football coach Dennis Snyder, who is well-known in City Hall.

“We’re not giving up our community center --- if anything, we’re adding to it,” Councilman John Masson said. “This is a good business decision.”

The 10-year lease would provide Escondido more than $1.8 million for recreation programs, city officials said. Commercial brokers in the area said this week that the monthly rent of $14,000 for 20,000 square feet was a better deal for the city than the school.

The community center’s gymnasium, computer lab and meeting rooms will continue to be open to the public, the lease agreement says.

Mayor Sam Abed said he hoped to spend some of the lease revenue to expand municipal pool hours and to add Sunday hours at the main library on Kalmia Street.

Abed blamed opposition to the lease on people disliking Snyder, whose conservative political philosophy has made him a polarizing local figure.

“Coach Snyder is a friend of mine and I’m proud of that,” said Abed, adding that people shouldn’t put politics above educating children.

Councilman Ed Gallo offered similar sentiments.

“This is the best school in the entire state of California,” Gallo said. “This is a chance to make quality education available to more of our residents.”

Similar praise for Heritage Digital Academy came from the 14 people who spoke in favor of the lease deal. Many of them said their children attend the school.

They hailed the school for its high test scores, traditional values, dress code and zero tolerance for misbehavior. Some also said such schools boost local property values and will attract businesses with high-paying jobs to Escondido.

“I’m grateful we have a choice of where to send our children,” parent Inki Welch said.

Charter schools are independent public schools that receive taxpayer money and that local school districts must approve. They are allowed to tailor their educational models differently than typical public schools.

Snyder operates multiple charter schools in Escondido. They are so popular that he has long waiting lists and he’s been continually searching for sites to expand.

Some of the 17 people who spoke against the lease said giving city property to Snyder’s school will widen the achievement gap between Snyder’s students and students at other public schools.

They complained that the city was providing a scarce commodity to a school whose students typically come from high-income families.

Other speakers complained that the council had made a backroom deal with Snyder.

Margaret Liles said the city failed to make a deal with another charter school, High Tech High, seven years ago when the school tried to buy land at Ash Street and Washington Avenue.

“The people at High Tech High weren’t members of your good old boy club like Mr. Snyder is,” she said.

Councilman Gallo said such accusation were baseless. And he said any campaign contributions from Snyder shouldn’t be seen as attempts to buy influence.

The hearing took an emotional turn when a teary-eyed salon owner said her entire family would be put out of work if the city follows through on its plan to evict her to make way for the charter school.

In addition, eight young people urged the council to find a suitable alternate location for the Escondido Education COMPACT, which would also be evicted. The speakers said the nonprofit had helped them attend prestigious universities or find good jobs.

That testimony prompted the council to promise they would do everything possible to help relocate both the salon and the nonprofit.

Snyder said this week that he hoped to open the new campus in August with 300 students and 15 staff members.